


The End of a Short Stay

by patxaran



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Goodbyes, Trains, Travel, hxh secret santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-17 20:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13085067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patxaran/pseuds/patxaran
Summary: Killua and Alluka stopped by to visit Leorio during their travels around the world, but now it's time for them to get back on the road. As always, Leorio's the one stuck standing on the platform, waving goodbye to a train.





	The End of a Short Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr user [unfalsifiable99](http://unfalsifiable99.tumblr.com) for the [hxh secret santa exchange 2017](http://hxh-secretsanta-2017.tumblr.com) following the request of “red”.

Honestly, Leorio Paladiknight limitless patience and talent for styling a little girl’s hair hadn’t come as much of a surprise. Smooth, even braids and fly-away free knots, which had taken several begrudging weeks for Killua to master, were turned out by Leorio in minutes after minimal practice. On the rare mornings Leorio could spare, he and Alluka met at the crack of dawn to plan out the new day’s style, which would be pinned and perfect long before Killua had even stepped out of the shower and brushed his teeth. This morning was just such a morning, though Leorio hadn’t got up early more as he’d just got home a few hours before.

Killua couldn't help but smile to himself at the sight of Leorio and Alluka hunched over a box full of ribbons and ornaments, picking through the various options and sharing ideas about how best to accentuate Alluka’s new look. Both of them wore expressions of the utmost seriousness and focus. Killua rolled his eyes as he approached them and adjusted the damp towel draped over his shoulders indifferently, like he didn’t find the scene absolutely adorable.

“I never would’ve guessed an old man with a porcupine head like you would know the first thing about hair,” said Killua to Leorio. “You must’ve been lying when you said you didn’t even know how to braid.”

“Oh no, this is definitely a first,” Leorio assured him. He squinted down at a little golden fan, held it up to the perfect braided rope of hair above Alluka’s ear, and leaned back to get a good look at its overall effect. He frowned and shook his head, telling her it would be better to add color, not shine, since she’d already had him weave in a few glossy, lacquered beads at the front. If Alluka was any more brilliant than that, she’d blind everyone who saw her.

“Maybe that scarf next to you with the red petals is better,” said Leorio, pointing. “I think it matches your sweater. There’s been a lot of floral and red in the shops this season. You’ll be on trend.”

“Trend doesn’t matter,” said Alluka. She took up the scarf and pressed it against her cardigan to compare. “But I do like primroses a lot.”

“That’s what a primrose looks like?” asked Leorio. He unfurled the scarf to get a better look at the pattern. “I’ve never actually seen one,” he admitted. “I just knew they were yellow.”

“They’re not all yellow,” said Alluka. “Hey, Killua,” she called over her shoulder, “hand me the phone so I can show Leorio the primroses we saw in Ligra.” Back to Leorio she said, “They’re pretty. You should see. So many colors! Killua got me the scarf there.”

Leorio was already twisting the long scarf into a makeshift headband for Alluka. Alluka pinched the other end tightly to keep it from unraveling and ordered Killua to hold up the phone for her so Leorio could see the pictures. She told Leorio all about walking through the Ligra countryside and Killua hunting every primrose color for her to take a picture of it. Killua blushed, embarrassed, and looked away out the window, muttering something under his breath neither of the other two could catch.

“There were a few red ones,” said Alluka, nodding to every photo of a red primrose that flitted by as Killua swiped across the screen. “I even thought they were poppies, but the shape’s wrong, see? They’re really yellow at the center. Poppies are black in the middle.”

“I see,” said Leorio. “You’re right.”

“I’ll send you this picture,” said Alluka after an especially vibrant photo of mostly red primroses tied together in a bunch appeared. “You can use it as a phone background. I was going to use it, but then I got a funny photo of Killua with a bee crawling on his nose, so now I’m using that one instead. I think it’ll be pretty.”

“Sure thing,” said Leorio. “It’s just what I’m looking for. Normally I prefer backgrounds with my friends, but at work people are too nosy, so I’ve been meaning to change it to something else. I’m tired of people asking if Gon’s my son. Or my little brother. Or a nephew. When you’re my age and one of your best friends is fourteen, that can be hard to believe for other adults.”

“It’s hard to believe for kids, too,” said Killua. “Because you look like you’re thirty-five.”

“What are you trying to say?” asked Leorio. Alluka quickly interrupted them.

“It’s too bad big brother it picky about us taking pictures of ourselves too much, or else I’d take one with all three of us and you could use that as a background.”

Leorio was quick to wave a dismissive hand and told her not to worry about it. “That’s for your safety,” he said, “so it’s okay. Also, as a Hunter, it’s more responsible of me to have a phone background without people. It could be a liability, I don’t know. I need something less conspicuous, something people don’t care enough to ask about. Or, if they do ask, something that doesn’t require a lot of detail to explain.”

“He’s right,” said Killua before Alluka could insist. “You have to be careful who has your picture, who knows who you are, where you live, stuff like that—and in our family especially.”

Killua didn’t miss the brief shadow that darkened Alluka’s face as she recalled all the danger she could be in without her big brother looking after her. “But,” Killua added, “we can all three take a picture together. It’s no big deal. I bet Leorio can’t wait. He’ll print it out and frame it and put it on his desk.”

“It’s true,,” said Leorio, and Alluka laughed. He’d already walked her through every framed photograph on his desk already. Preserving the memories of his friends and their times together was important to him.

“That’s awesome. Let's finish the headband first so I can wear it,” said Alluka excitedly. “Killua, get ready for the picture, too, in the meantime.”

“Nah. I’m ready now.”

“But your hair is soaking wet.”

“There’s a hairdryer in the cabinet in the hall,” said Leorio. “Before you ask why, just know I used to have much fussier look than this.” He gestured around his head to illustrate, but it was hard to tell if he was indicating his current look, or the outrageous volume of its predecessor. “Anyway, the hair dryer still works.”

Killua went out to the hall and opened the first door slim cabinet near the door. He didn’t have to look for long before he found a clunky, outdated hair dryer tucked between old boxes and miscellaneous linenss. He brought it back with him to the room where Alluka and Leorio were just putting the finishing touches on Alluka’s fabric crown. Eagerly, Alluka volunteered to help Killua dry his hair optimum fluffiness and height. Killua sat on the floor at her feet obediently and warned her not to make him look like a human pom-pom.

“This will be the best picture of us we’ve ever taken,” said Alluka cheerfully as she combed Killua’s hair, wiggling the teeth through carefully and asking Leorio for reassurance that she was doing it as well as he did. Leorio, hands still full with affixing Alluka’s headband, promised she was, even as Killua deliberately refrain from wincing every time Alluka yanked at his hair a little too hard.

“I’m sure it’ll be great,” said Killua. “We’ve got the perfect look.”

* * *

“You can extend your stay another week, two weeks, a month. However long you want. If you really have nowhere to be, then feel free,” suggested Leorio. “I don’t mind the company. You both are great to have around.”

Killua crossed his arms over the table and rested his chin on top of them. With a soft, puff of a sigh, he glanced over at the packed bags by the door. Although he and Alluka weren’t taking an especially early train tomorrow, it was better to have everything ready now. It made the choice to leave more definitive, although Leorio was still talking like Killua and Alluka might back out of it at the last minute and stick around. Leorio was too sentimental about separations and needed to delay this one as long as possible before accepting it was truly inevitable. His work and school obligations weren’t going to allow him from seeing them off personally at the station. That was why, despite having his first class at seven thirty in the morning, he’d chosen to forego sleep and throw something of surprise going away party. Alluka had finally gone to bed an hour ago, and now it was only Leorio and Killua sitting at the table, talking around what would happen next and when Leorio could ever expect to see either Zoldyck sibling again.

“You’re hardly around, Leorio,” said Killua. “As that big trip to the Dark Continent gets closer, you’re going to be practically living at the hospital and studying with the dog lady.”

“Her name is Cheadle Yorkshire and she’s a triple star Virus Hunter,” Leorio reminded him, “but sure, just focus on the dog aspect.”

“Also, you know I promised Alluka that we’d travel,” said Killua. “We can’t stay in one place forever. Two weeks was plenty of time. It’s nice hanging out when you’re actually home, but we have to move on.”

“I get it,” said Leorio. “I just don’t do well with goodbyes.”

“You better do well with this one. Alluka’s going to wake herself up early before you go to class, so don’t look so mopey when you say goodbye to her. Don’t even look sleepy, or she might mistake it for you looking sad.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Leorio. “I’m a man. I'm not going to cry.”

“You’re a man, and I’ve seen you cry. Openly. I’ve even heard about you crying in front of total strangers who were all looking right at you.”

“What you heard about were happy tears of overwhelming relief. Maybe if you’d give me a better idea of what you were planning to help Gon, I wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed to the point of literally weeping.”

“When Gon was sick in the hospital, you called me every single day from outside his room like you were updating me, but your voice cracked so much I could barely understand a word you were saying. It was annoying.”

“Well, sue me for having feelings.”

“When Gon and I came back from the auction in York Shin, we immediately knew Kurapika had left without even having to ask you where he was. You kept clearing your throat and sighing the whole time when you thought we weren’t looking. If I remember correctly, you told us there must’ve been some mold you were allergic to in the building, but honestly, it was obvious. We just didn’t say anything, though, because we know you’re like that.”

Leorio hunched over guiltily. “Fine,” he said in defeat. “I’ll do my best to put on a brave face for tomorrow. No tears, no feelings, just smiles.” He relaxed and reached for the mug of coffee he’d made to keep himself awake into the night. By now, it was so late that sleeping would only make waking up even worse.

“Anyway,” said Leorio as he finished taking a sip and grimaced at how cold the coffee had got, “it’s not even like you’ll be gone for ages. And you kids answer your phones, unlike Kurapika, who won’t even give me an email address. I’m not super worried. It’ll just feel empty around here once you’ve gone. That’s all. I’m being selfish.”

“You are, but I get it,” said Killua. Leorio winced at how quickly Killua had agreed. “Just be cool, okay?” he said. “Alluka’s worse than you are, getting attached to everyone who’s nice to her. She’s not used to having people around who are as, I dunno, kind as you are. It means a lot to her, so, if you’re unhappy, she’ll get unhappy, too, and I don’t want her to be sad, you know? If you make her sad, I’ll kick your ass.”

“Isn’t that a bit much?” asked Leorio. “Isn’t it normal to be a little sad when you leave someplace or someone?”

Killua’s face went unnaturally blank. “I don’t know,” he said flatly. Both of them knew this wasn’t true. Leorio made an incredulous sound and took another sip of tepid coffee, but left it at that.

Things fell quiet for a long time. Killua traced circles on the table, and Leorio forced himself through a bit more of his coffee before giving in and getting up to microwave it in the kitchenette. Through a stifled yawn he told Killua to go to bed so he’d been ready to travel later. Killua reminded him that he was trained to go over a week without sleep.

“Have you decided on a destination?” asked Leorio. “I know you’re taking the train to Tua, but after that? Or is it top secret, need to know stuff?”

“It’s not really secret, no,” said Killua with a shrug. “Less need to know and more need to figure out where to start. We aren’t just arbitrarily making our way around the world together. Alluka’s decided she wants to meet interesting people, because she’s seen enough interesting places, so, I’m taking her around to people I trust here and there. We stopped at your place first because I figured you don’t have a life, so you’d be free.”

“Thanks,” said Leorio. “I’m going to go fill this mug the rest of the way with whiskey and cry in the corner now.”

“You’re not allowed to shed a tear until Alluka’s gone, or you’re dead, old man.”

“If she sees I’ve been crying and she asks about it, I’ll tell her you were mean to me.”

“She won’t believe you.”

“No, I think she knows you a lot better than that, Killua.”

Killua grinned menacingly. “You’re lucky my sister likes you,” he said. “But then, she likes all my friends. It’s not hard.”

“She told me she’s very fond of Gon,” noted Leorio. “That’s not really newsworthy; we all like Gon. You should visit him at his house together. He’s always home on Whale Island. The way he says it, I get the impression he’ll be trapped there doing homework for the next fifteen years, so, he’ll be easy to find—as easy to find as I am, anyway.”

“Yeah, we’ll…get around to going there eventually,” said Killua. The smile on his lips was strained and soon fell away.

“If it’s a question of not having figured out the logistics, then from Tua, if you take a bus, you can get to Miu Harbor, where there’s a boat that goes out to—”

“We’re going to see Wing and Zushi first,” blurted Killua. Leorio stammered to a stop and stared. “They’re also easy to find,” explained Killua. “They’re always at the Heaven’s Arena. Alluka remembers me leaving to train there when I was a kid, so, she wants to see it.”

“Ah, yeah, your Nen teacher and his pupil, right?” said Leorio, nodding thoughtfully as the image of the duo he’d met during Gon’s hospital stay came to mind. “Yeah, she’ll probably think that’s cool. Maybe you can catch a match, too.”

“Yeah, maybe,” agreed Killua.

Leorio read something else in Killua’s reply, something Killua himself probably knew was obvious, but he couldn’t put a name to what exactly it was. Instead of aggravating the sore spot, Leorio changed the subject to celebrity martial artists on TV. Analyzing mediocre fighters’ popularity and debating promising up-and-comers’ potential would interest Killua more than discussing his problems. The kid might be traveling the world taking sole responsibility for his kid sister in order to protect her from things he wouldn’t go into detail describing, but he was still a teenager, and he still liked watching fights on TV. Leorio didn’t have enough time to follow any sport closely anymore, so Killua had a lot to tell him while laughing and saying Leorio seriously need to get out more. Being a lonely loser was one thing. Becoming a shut in creep with no concept of the world beyond his books was something else entirely.

By five, Leorio had to get ready for his commute to school. After his mid-morning lecture, it was off to the hospital where he was training with Cheadle, resulting in a full day of rushing around and working without a single break. Alluka, in order to catch him before he left just as she’d promised the night before, trudged out of the bedroom at half past six and wished him a bleary-eyed goodbye while also promising to visit again soon, whenever her big brother decided, or maybe sooner than that since it took Killua too long to decide anything.

“We’ll see you,” said Killua as Leorio gathered up his school bag and headed for the door. Alluka clung to Killua’s arm sleepily for support and smiled. “Thanks for having us.”

“No problem,” said Leorio. “Any time.”

Alluka waved again, and Leorio returned a wave back as he rushed out the door, school bag and coffee thermos in hand. On the bus he texted Killua, apologizing for running late and having to rush at the last minute. He wished them both a safe trip, said he’d been happy to have them over, and, for what felt like the hundredth time, apologized all over again for being unable to see them off at the station in the afternoon.

* * *

The yellow daylight dimmed as it filtered into the station through the glass panes high above the terminal entrance. Alluka pulled the brim of her floppy hat down as she cut through a small group of strolling passengers ahead of her. Killua shouted for her to slow down, that she knew he wasn’t comfortable with her wandering off to far in a crowd.

“I think this is the biggest train we’ve ever taken,” said Alluka breathlessly after Killua had caught up. Killua counted in his head only three other trains they’d been on and decided she was probably right. Having run down almost the whole length of it after her, this train already felt like the longest. They were early, so the car doors weren’t open yet, but Alluka hadn’t been rushing to their car to take a seat yet. She’d wanted to see the whole train, from front to end, and compare it mentally to the model train with the winding track she’d laid out in every configuration imaginable back in her room at home.

“I guess it’s kinda impressive,” said Killua with a shrug. “Airships are way faster, though.”

“I like to see the scenery going by out the window, and all the houses and people,” said Alluka. “It feels more like being inside the world instead of looking down at it.”

“Pay attention to the window, then, when we’re on the train,” Killua warned her. “Remember—”

“Yes, I know, don’t talk to strangers,” recited Alluka perfectly, her excited energy undulled by the reminder of the condition they’d agreed upon for safe and inconspicuous public travel. Although seeing new, fascinating people everywhere she went hadn’t yet lost its luster for Alluka, she wasn’t especially compelled to befriend or interact with anyone Killua didn’t already know. While travelling by train or any other public transportation, it was easy for her to keep to herself, since her brother was the only person she would’ve wanted to talk to anyway. At ticket counters and in crowded seats, Killua did everything for the two of them by default while Alluka just smiled and waved over his shoulder, charming strangers without a word and moving on quickly.

“We should head to the car printed on our tickets. They’ll probably start boarding in a few minutes,” said Killua, nodding in the direction they’d just come running. “It’s back the other way, so we need to turn around.”

“Okay,” said Alluka. “But just one more minute to see the engine. Then, we can….”

Alluka’s voice trailed off as she looked back to Killua and then past him. She wasn’t watching him, he realizes, but something a fair distance over his shoulder. Killua spun around, on his guard in an instant. In a second, he spied the exact same figure Alluka had spotted, towering over a high percentage of the crowd and searching through it. At his side, Alluka became a flash of long hair and rustling fabric shotting past and calling out to Leorio to get him to look over.

“The hell are you doing here? You have to buy a ticket to reach the platform,” said Killua once he’d caught up with this them. Unlike Alluka, he’d been slowed down with both his and Alluka’s bags in his arms after she’d abandoned her luggage.

“I volunteered to play courier and run some samples to a lab outside the city,” said Leorio. He held up a briefcase that wasn’t his own in explanation. “My train’s in the same direction, but it’s one of the urban lines. The pass we use for official business lets me get past every gate in the station, though, so I figured I’d get an early start and stop by to see you both off. Alluka was too sleepy to get in a proper goodbye this morning, right, Alluka?”

“It was just so early in the morning,” said Alluka. “I even went back to sleep right after you left. I’m sorry.”

Killua, meanwhile, was already rolling his eyes at them. “So what you mean is you’re abusing your Hunter privileges because Alluka was tired?” he asked. “How selfish can you be?”

Without a hint of sarcasm, Leorio agreed, “Killua, I have never once in my entire life failed to make it absolutely clear that I intend to abuse every privilege being a Hunter will ever offer me. Don’t pretend you’re surprised.” He grinned. “...Or that you’re not happy to see me.”

“We’re happy to see you,” said Alluka quickly before Killua could add his own belittling comment. “So are you going to wave to us as the train pulls out like in a movie? That would be amazing.”

“If that’s what you want, then definitely. I’ll run all the way down the platform and wait, waving at the end, until I can’t even see your train anymore.”

“That’s dumb and embarrassing,” said Killua. “Don’t.”

“I’ll even be wiping away a few tears, overwhelmed with emotion.”

“I said I’d kick your ass if you cry, old man.”

Alluka, meanwhile, was laughing. She let Leorio know he wouldn’t need to pretend to cry to be dramatic. Leorio promised her he wouldn’t be pretending, and Killua sighed loudly over the two of them.

An alarm sounded from the speakers, followed by an announcement to prepare for boarding. Killua warned Alluka if she really wanted to go to Heaven’s Arena, she would have to leave Leorio behind and get on the train now. He didn’t want to get on first just to look back and watch her miss it.

“Two more minutes,” said Alluka. Killua agreed to wait, though he made a minor show of annoyance. He couldn’t stay that way for long, however; Leorio was too nice, too sincere. Killua was relieved Alluka had liked him, and he hoped that future encounters with the people most important in her big brother’s life would be equal successes. I’m fact, if they ever met anyone Alluka didn’t get along with, Killua might just stop getting along with them, too. Alluka’s happiness was tantamount to all else.

“Okay, the train’s really going to leave in five minutes now,” said Killua. “We should get on before they close the doors.”

“I have to catch my own train in a little bit, too,” said Leorio, motioning the two off towards the nearest car door. Killua’s hands were full, so he helped Alluka step up without catching her skirt on the steps. “It’s going to take at least ten minutes to reach my platform from here. This station is a maze.”

“You should hurry,” said Killua from the landing. “Thanks for coming to see us off, though.” He smiled, and Leorio smiled and looked away, embarrassed that Killua had thanked him. It was rare, and Leorio was touched by it every time.

“Bye, Leorio, see you!” Alluka called out before running inside the car excitedly to find the seat on the ticket herself before Killua. Killua shrugged at Leorio apologetically and hurried after her. With an understanding smile and nod, Leorio stepped back from the door to go. He was turning away when he heard Alluka again calling out to him again. Looking back, he saw she was holding out the scarf with the red primroses on it, offering it to him.

“Hold this for me,” said Alluka. “We lose a lot of things when we travel so much, so it’s safer with you. I really like it, so you have to keep it for me for I know where it is, okay?”

Leorio laughed and took the scarf without hesitation, partly because he’d been warned not to refuse Alluka too often, but also because he was extremely obliging with children, especially ones as bright and outgoing as Alluka.

“It’s safe with me,” Leorio promised her with a small salute. “You can count on it.”

“Thank you! I’ll come back for it, okay?” she leaned forward and tried to add in a low voice that still cut above the growing rumble of the train, “and now, this way, Killua will have to bring us back here to see you. He can’t say no.”

“He doesn’t say no to you anyway, Alluka.”

“Yeah, but now he really has no choice.”

Alluka winked and pulled back into the train just as the warning tone sounded and the door rattled as it prepares to slide shut. Leorio stepped back even further than before and then stood still, waving to Alluka, who’d hurried back to join Killua and press her face close to the glass. Both siblings waved back to him as the train began moving away.

Leorio didn’t actually run after the train as he’d jokingly promised he’d do. He also kept his word to Killua and didn’t cry, at least not until he was headed back up the stairs to the walkway above the long-distance lines and paused a moment to wipe his eyes. It didn’t take too long to regain his composure and briefly check his watch before continuing on to the platforms for the urban lines, back to work. Looped around the arm of the hand holding the briefcase, the scarf with the red petals stood out bright and lively against his dark navy suit.

On the train, Killua studied Alluka, trying to figure out what had changed about her in the time since they’d boarded the train and now. At last, it hit him.

“You gave him the scarf?” he asked with a groan. “That’s so sappy. Now he’s going to cry, I bet. I told you he’s a wimp.”

“I had to do it. He was so sad.”

“What? Well now I have to kick his ass, I guess. I warned him not to get all mopey about us leaving.”

“He was mopey about us leaving since the minute we arrived,” said Alluka. “He’s like that.”

“That’s true,” said Killua tiredly. “Oh well. I guess we have visit again soon.”

Alluka beamed and clapped her hands. “Let’s!” she cheered. More seriously she added, “and before his big trip with the Hunters, okay? I have to get the scarf back.”

“Sure,” said Killua. “Definitely.” He grinned. “We have to get that scarf back.”


End file.
